griffin



(No Model.) 4 Sheets-Sheet -2`.

E. GRIFFIN. PERFORATING MACHINE.

No. 556,714. Patented Mar. 17,1896.

(No Model.) 4 Sheets-Sheet 3. E. GRIFFIN. PBRFORATING MACHINE.

No. 556,714. Patented Mar. l?, 1896.

" 4 Sheets- Sheet 4.

(No Model.)

- E. GRIFFIN.

PERFORATING MACHINE.

110,556,714. Patented Mar. 17,1896.

UNITED STATES PATENT Erice,

ELITSWTORTII GRIFFIN, OF MIIVAUKEE, YVISGOXSIN.

PERFORATlNG-MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 556,714, dated March 17', 1896.

hpplication filed March 5,1895. Serial No. 540,639. (No modela To all whom, it may concern,.-

Be it known that I, ELLswonrn GRIFFIN, a citizen of the United States, anda resident of Milwaukee, in the county of Milwaukee and State ot' Tisconsimhave invented certain new and useful Improvements in Perforating-lllachimes; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof.

My invention has for its object to provide a simple, economical and efficient perforatin gmachine by which money values of bankchecks or analogous orders may be expressed in words instead of numerals, thus rendering it more difficult to raise such orders; and said invention consists in certain peculiarities of construction and combination of parts hereinafter described with reference to the accompanying drawings and subsequently claimed.

In the drawings, Figure l represents a plan view of mymachine, partly in horizontal section and partly broken away; Figs. 2 and 3, sections of the same respectively taken on lines 2 2 and 3 ol' the preceding iigure 5 Fig. 4, a plan View of the index-plate at the top of the machine 5 Figs. 5 and (5, detail plan views, partly in horizontal section; and Fig. 7, an eleifation of a pawl-and-ratchet mechanism that constitutes a detail of the machine.-

Referring by letter to the drawings, A represents the base of my machine in the form of a hollow circular casting having an angular front extension B, and surmounting this base is a circular housing C, held in place by screws I3 or other suitable means.

The machine-base is herein shown as provided with a depending central boss c, and adjustable in this boss is a conical pointed screw d that constitutes one of the bearings for an arbor D, a set-nut e being employed to maintain the screw in adj usted position. The other bearing, d', for the arbor is central of the housing C, and this housing is provided at its lower end with an interior annular iiangef, that serves as a track for another annular iange g on the outside ot a shell E, that has a central hub 7i made fast to the arbor D by a set-screw 'i or other suitable means.

Rigidly secured to the lower edge of the shell E by screws j or other suitable means is an inwardly-extended circular plate F, and

riveted or otherwise fastened tight to the inner edge of this plate is another plate G, these plates being spaced apart by a washer between their inner ends, as clearly illustrated in Figs. 2 and Vithin the shell E, above the plate F, is a horizontal flange II, provided at intervals with vertical openings that are loosely engaged by stems I of variable length, and surrounding each stem intermediate of its head m and said flange is a spiral spring .I ot suitable power. On the lower end of each stem is a block Ii, that opposes the under side of the shell-flange II, and one function of the block is that of a stop to limit upward movement of said stem.

The blocks K are of different lengths, and depending from each of these blocks are a series of pins arranged to form the out-lines of an arbitrary symbol or the letters of an arbitrarily selected syllable or word, and these pins are in line with corresponding openings in the parallel plates F G above specified. The openings in the upper plate, F, are always engaged by the pins depending from the blocks K and serve as guides for the same, the lower ends of said pins being Allush with the under side of said plate or retracted therein when the stems I are in their normal position. The spring-controlled stems, the blocks at their lower ends and the pins depending from the blocks constitute what are hereinafterdesignated as dies.

At the front of the machine the housing is provided with an opening that registers with the space intermediate of the perforated plates F G, and crossing said space against the washer le between said plates is a gagestrip L that is made fast at its ends to said housing by screws or other suitable means.

The dies are indexed on a plate M that is fast on the arbor Dabove the housing C, and opposite each index is a vertical knob n. in register with a peripheral notch, the notches being engagea-ble with the free end of a spring-stop p attached to said housing, as shown in Fig. 2.

Pivotally connected to a standard N on the machine-base, within the shell E, is the central portion of a shank P pertaining to a hammer Q., and this hammer is brought aga-inst the dies above specified by a mech- IOO yside of the same.

anism Vhereinafter described. As herein shown the hammer-shank is forked to straddle its supporting-standard and the arbor D, and a spiral spring Rr depends from a rod connecting the fork branches. The lower end of this spiral springis joined to abracliet S that depends from the top of the machinebase, andy said spring acts to automatically return the hammer to normal position after an operation necessary to force down one oi the perforating-dies.

A link T joined to the hammer-shank ad jacent to the head connects with a spring-re sisted lever U, the latter being pivoted at its inner end to the wall of the machine-base, in-

The lever extends across the front extension of the machine-base to play in a slot in the wall of this base, and the outer or handle portion V of said lever comes Within easy reach ot the right hand of the operator, his left hand being employed to manipulate the indexwplate M, thus causing a rotation of the arbor D and shell E to bring any desired die to the perforatii'ig-point un d der the head of the hammer.

f An opening fr in the lever U is engaged by a projection s on a counterweighted arm XV, that lis loose on the axle t of a feed-roller X, this axle being supported in suitable bearings ou the machine-base, within the same, and pivotally connected tothe arm is a pawl Y, that engages with a ratchet-wheel Z fast on said axle, The pawl is held against the ratchet-wheel by means of a spring a, and the counterweight fw of the pawl-arm lV prevents the latter from dropping down farther than necessary when an action of the leverU takes place.

A spring-controlled detent :t is pivotally hung from the top of the machine-base to engage the ratchet-wheel Z and thereby prevent reverse movement of the feed-roller X above specified.

The feed-roller X extends up through an opening in the top of the machine-base, and another feed-roller, X', parallel to the first, is journaled in a spring-controlled frame A in hinge connect-ion with the outside of the housing C, this frame being provided with a handle y, by which it may be swung upward against the resistance of the opposing spring or springs e, the latter being clearly illustrated in Figs. l and 2.

The paper to be perforated is interposed between the feed-rollers and pushed in against the gage-strip L intermediate of the perforated plates F G, to come under any of the dies that may be brought to the perforatingpoint. The action of the lever U effects the perforating operation, and at the same time the pawl Y is swung around on the ratchet wheel Z a predetermined number of notches by the exertion ot said lever against the projection s on the loose counterweighted arm lV, the area of the lever-opening yr engaged by said projection being sufcient to permit the automatic lift of a die to clear its receiver in the lower perforated plate, G, and paper before the return stroke of the aforesaid lever begins to exert power on the aforesaid prof jection to operate said arm and therebywork the spacing mechanism comprising the pawl and ratchet and the feed-rollers. In other words, the hammer is retracted by the pull of its controllingspring R, and the expansion ot' the previously-contracted spring .l surrounding 'a die -stem under said hammer causes said stein to return to normal position, as herein shown, before the pawl Y exerts power on the ratchet-wheel with which it is engaged.

inasmuch as the lower boundary of the lever-opening r is normally against the arm projection s, it follows that the hammer does not begin to exert power on a die-stem until the lever U has moved Vdown far enough to bring the upper boundary of said opening against said projection.

The machine asherein shown has a perforating-die corresponding to the symbol tt and this symbol may be utilized to precede and succeed a word or combination of words perforatedy by one or more of the other dies in said machine. Instead of the symbol $5 a star or other arbitrarily-selected symbol or character may be employed. Y

,4 The present machine is organized to perforate words denoting varying amounts from one to nine hundred ninety-nine thousand nine hundred ninety-nine, there being dies for the words one, two, three, folug live, six, seven, eight, nine, tem eleven, twelve,7 twenty, forty, the syllables thin if, teem eigh,7 and ty, and also the words hundred and thousand, as indicated in Fig. 4, representing a plan view of the index-plate that is rotative with the die-carryin g shell.

rlhe dies and their receivers in the plate G are arranged to cperforate on a straight line, while the spacing mechanism or paper-feed is made variable to correspond with the reading length of said dies, provision being also made for spacing between words or between the arbitrary symbol and a word.

The length of each die-stem is proportioned to the reading length of the symbol, syllable, or word to be perforated, and the greater this reading length the shorter said stem, in order that the pawl may be swung far enough around on the ratchet-wheel by the dowustroke of the lever to obtain the proper spacing when said lever is on the upstroke.

lVhen any one, except two7 of the peripheral notches of the index-plate is engaged with the spring-stop, the left of the reading matter of the corresponding die and its receiver is at the right of the imaginar f line 5 5 delineated in Fig. 5, for the reason that the machine is schemed to have the left of said reading matteil on all but two of. thc dies and their receivers four character-spaces from a radial line passing through thecenter ot' the corresponding index-knob and peripheral ISO notch in said index-plate, as clearly expressed in full and dotted lines, Fig.

The two exceptions to the above rule are the dies and their receivers for the sutX-syllables teen and ty, the left of the reading matter pertaining to these dies and receivers being set five character-spaces from radial lines passing through their indexknobs and notches.

The stems of the dies for the arbitrary symbol and all the Words and syllables above noted are of such respective length as to insure of the pawl being carried around on the ratchet-Wheel as many notches as there are characters belonging to any one of the dies plus one notch for the space to follow said symbol, word, or syllable when perforated in the paper fed to the machine, and thus when the spacing mechanism is operated said paper is carried along to the left between the feed-rollers a distance equal to the reading length of a previously-actuated die and a succeeding space the same in Width as a single die-character. l

As to the sutliX-syllables teen and ty7 the set of the same is such that the lirst letter of each strikes the paper to the left of the imaginary line 5 5 above noted, so as to come in the space succeeding a prefix syllable or Word and avoid a break in the completed Word.

In matter of structural detail the machine above described may be somewhat varied Without departure from the essential result sought to be accomplished.

Ilavin g thus described my invention, what l claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. A performing-machine embodying reciprocative dies of different reading lengths, receivers for the dies, a tilt-hammer for impacting said dies, a lever linked to the hammer, and a variable spacing mechanism comprisinga pair of feed-rollers, a ratchet-Wheel fast on the axle of one of the rollers, an actuating-paWl for the ratchet-Wheel, and a pawl projection engaging an opening of suitable area in the lever.

2. A perforating-machine embodying reciprocative dies of dierent reading lengths, receivers for the dies, a tilt-hammer for impacting the dies, a lever linked to the hammer, and a variable spacing mechanism comprising a pair of feed-rollers, a ratchet-Wheel i'ast on the axle of one of the rollers, a counterweighted pawl operating in conjunction wi th the lever to actuate the ratchet-Wheel and a pawl projection engaging' an opening of suitable area in the lever.

3. A pcrforating-machine embodying a rotative shell provided With an inwardly-extended paper-support, reci procative dies carried by the shell and having different reading lengths matching the perforations in said support, a tilt-hammer for impacting the dies, a variable spacing mechanism comprising a lever in link connection with the hammer, a

feed-roller having a ratchet-Wheel on its axle, and a paivl operatin g in conjunction with the lever to actuate the ratchet-Wheel; ahousing inclosing the shell, a spring-controlled 'frame in hinge connection with the housing and another feed-roller journaled in the frame parallel to the one aforesaid.

e. A perforating-machine embodying a rotative shell provided with an inwardly-extended perforated paper-support, reciprocative dies carried by the shell and having different reading lengths matching the perforations in said support, a tilt-hammer for the dies, a lever linked to the hammer, and a variable spacing mechanism in connection with the lever.

5. A perforating-machine embodying a .rotative shell provided with an inwardly-extended perforated paper-support, reciprocative dies carried by the shell and having dif- `ferent reading lengths matching the perforations in said support, an index-plate rotative with the shell, a tilt-hammer for the dies, a lever linked to the hammer, and a variable 'spacing mechanism in connection with the lever.

6. A perforating-machine embodying a rotative shell provided with an inwardly-extended perforated paper-support, reciprocative dies carried by the shell and having diiferent reading lengths matching the perforations in said support, an index-plate rotative with the shell, a stop for the plate, a tilt-hammer for the dies, a lever linked to the hammer, and a variable spacing mechanism cooperative With the lever.

7. A perforating-machine embodying a rotative shell provided With an inwardly-extended perforated paper-support, dies having stems of variable length reciprocative in the shell and their reading lengths proportioned to these stems as Well as matched to the perforations in said support,` a tilt-hammer arranged to operate against the die-stems, a lever linked to the hammer, and a variable spacing mechanism co operative with the lever.

S. A perforating machine embodying a housing having an interior track, a rotative shell having an outer iiange that rests on said track and an inner paper-support provided with perforations, reciprocative dies in the shell having different reading lengths matching the perforations in said support, a tilthammer for the dies, a lever linked to the hammer, and a variable spacing mechanism co-operative with the lever.

9. A perforating-machine embodying a rotat-ive shell having an inwardly extended paper-support comprising a pair of parallel plates spaced apart, reciprocative dies in the shell having different reading lengths matching the perforations in the plates; a tilt-hammer for the dies, a lever in link connection With the hammer, and a variable spacing mechanism under control of the lever.

lO. Aperforating-machine for designating IOO IIO

on bank-checks or analogous orders in Words any amount from one to nine hundred ninet fnine thousand nine hundred ninety-nine inclusive, the saine comprising a rotative shell a series of reciprocative dies carried by the shell and embraced in a scheme that essentially consists of the Words one, two, three, four, live, six, seven, eigl1t,7 nine,77 ten, eleven, twelve, twenty, forty, hundred, thousand, and the syllables thir, fit, teen, eigh, ty; suitable means for impacting the dies at a common point, other suitable means for regulating the travel of each die in proportion to its reading length, a paper-snpport, extending in from the shell and having perforations that match the dies, and a variable spacing mechanism co-operative with said dies.

l1. A perforating-machine for designating on bank-checks or analogous orders in words any amount from one to nine hundred ninetynine thousand nine hundred ninety-nine inclusive, the same comprising a rotative shell a series of reciprocativc dies carried by the shell and embraced in a scheme that .essentially consists of the Words one, two," three, four, five, six,7 seven," eight, nine, tem eleven, t\velve,'` tWenty, fortyj hundred, thousand," and the syllables thir, fifi, teen," eigh, ty, together with an arbitrary symbol other than a letter or Word that may be utilized to precede or succeed a Word or combination of the same; suitable means for impacting the dies at a common point, other suitable means for regula-ting the travel or each die in proportion to its reading length. a paper-support, extending in from the shell and having perforations that match the dies. and a variable spacing mechanism co-opera tive with said dies.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing l have hereunto set my hand7 at Milwaukee, in the county of Milwaukee and State of Tisconsin, in the presence of two Witnesses.

ELLSXVORTH GRIFFIN.

Vitnesses:

N. E. OLIPHAivT, HENRY DANKERT. 

